Hello
by LePapillonRouge
Summary: Horses, bedrooms, beaches, and taxis. Klavier/Ema - Chapter 3, UP ! Sorry for the major delay of doom. I hope this makes up for it.
1. Deal

For the KyouyaEma Challenge on Objection! A Phoenix Wright Fanfic Archive.

Disclaimer: Apollo Justice owns Capcom...I mean, Capcom owns Apollo Justice.

I also don't own Air TV's setting.

--

"Sorry sir, this is the last stop for the day. If you want to get back, you're going to have to take the return buses home that begin at six in the morning. I'm really sorry about what happened...I didn't realize you were still sleeping in the back of the bus! Rules are rules, and you only paid for a one-way ticket."

Klavier sighed. How could've he been left in the middle of nowhere on a tour date? He wondered what was worse, the murder case during the concert, or being abandoned in some country town. Well, maybe the murder case was worse, but at least he was able to perform to his adoring fans during that time! Now the concert planned in the city about sixty miles away had to be cancelled because he slept late last night, and his bandmates didn't seem to notice that he wasn't with them when they had arrived at their destination.

"…it's nothing. Don't worry, Herr Bus Driver, I have connections in many places," he replied calmly, getting out of the bus, "I should be able to get to…the gathering I was supposed to go to tonight."

"Ah! That's great sir. Do you have your luggage intact, mister?"

"Yup. My spare clothes and my trusty guitar. You know, this guitar's worth…"

"—Oh! So you're one of those musicians! I've transported many of those during my life as a bus driver, mind you! To take public transportation…you must be a struggling band, poor guys. Here, the trip's free for you sir. For all this trouble that it's caused you…" he sighed, bowing deeply. The prosecutor was surprised that he didn't know who he was, but then again, the driver was an aging man and probably did not care much for young people's music.

"No, no. Prices for gas are skyrocketing these days, ja? Besides, I'm the one who caused you trouble," he replied politely as always, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Oh! Then, give me your autograph! I always ask that to every musician that boards my bus. You don't mind, do you?" he asked excitedly, giving a piece of used napkin for Klavier. Although he was perturbed by the mysterious green substance wiped onto it, he signed it, quickly, but accurately, and left the bus driver with a quick goodbye.

The bus driver drove away by himself, excitedly talking about the autograph to himself. "As always, some kid I don't know…maybe this unlucky guy will be my lucky break! Maybe I can finally connect with my two granddaughters, and I won't just be an old-fashioned geezer like they always tell I am before ignoring me every time I visit! Hmph…Actually, now that I think about it, this guy looks familiar...where have I seen him before?"

--

"Where are you, Klavier?!" asked one of the Gavinners, the keyboardist to be exact, "We were looking for you when we arrived, and all of the sudden the bus was gone!"

"I don't know. I just got dropped off in the middle of nowhere. I've been calling around for some kind of transportation back to the concert, but they're either busy or they don't know this place. Can you call someone to take me there?"

"I've been trying too, I swear! But since I don't know where you are, I can't really figure out…"

"Right," he muttered, rolling his eyes. The knowledge added to his growing list of frustrations. "Of course. If worst comes to worst, we'll just have to cancel. I don't like this kind of thing in a middle of a tour, but it can't be helped, given the circumstances. You agree?"

"Yes…"

"See you soon, hopefully," he replied, shutting his cell off on the bus stop bench. His body lay in the shade, a line of ocean seen from his point of view. At least it wasn't too hot, he thought. Clouds sprinkled across the sky and a plane's contrail trailed below them.

"Quite a peaceful place," he admitted to himself. Not many times in Klavier's life could he ever comment like that on a city he's been in touring or a court he worked. In fact, the only place that could rival this town's peacefulness would be Borginia…. but such trivial matters couldn't save that concert tonight, and probably even destroyed his hopes of trying to save it. Grudgingly, he dragged his luggage and held his guitar down the road and hoped that some kind soul would help a poor rock star in need.

--

There were no kind souls in this town.

It seemed if time had stopped here. No young girl he'd spoken to had even heard of the Gavinners, nor any children, nor anyone else. No one seemed willing to help him, although the young girls were quite charmed to see such a handsome city boy talk to them. They all looked busy with something important…if only he knew what it was. At least he was able to drink some juices to help his hungry stomach from some vending machines, although one thick fruit juice didn't taste right. In the end, he found himself sitting in the shade of the tall seawall that marked the entrance to the beach.

_Pretty beach…maybe I should figure where I am after all. It'd be a good place for the band to vacation. Heck, I'll probably recommend it to Fraulein Detective too. Saying that she can afford the trip here…she spends so much on scientific materials and Snackoos that crowd her desk at work, _he thought. He was slowly falling asleep again; the mix of beating sun and traces of breeze put him to his delayed slumber. As he began to keep his eyes shut more, the pitter patter of steps reached his ears, opening an eye to the hopefully kind soul that could help him get to the concert. Klavier opened the other eye and turned around to see who was there. He looked up the stairs that led to the beach, expecting the person to use them, but saw nothing. He realized he only need glance upward – the black heels of the perpetrator were balanced upon the wall, catching a breeze with its hair and coat soaring in his direction. If it weren't for the steps, he might've thought the person had flown up onto the wall!

_"I see this person near the beach…I'm not sure if I want to say, "Hello, what's your name?" to him, like my mother told me to say to new people I meet. He seems older than me, but I think he's a good person. He looks sleepy, and I wonder if he's new to this place. I feel bad, wondering if I should get him something to eat, or suggest a place for him to sleep. The seawall isn't the most comfortable place to sleep…and birds like to do their business here, after all!"_

Klavier jumped out of his shady spot, checking for any white-and-brown spots on his expensive clothes, or his head, or his shoes. It was amazing how this person, who wasn't looking at him, described his situation, but it was a bit strange how it said its thoughts out loud. Now that he thought about it, the person seemed womanly from his new point of view, and a bit too familiar. Thankfully, the woman didn't appear to notice his presence yet.

"_All of a sudden, I get this idea. I remember my goal, the one I've been working on for so long. I close my eyes, I remember my mother's words again, open my eyes and I go to him," _added the woman, who paused, turning around to face his direction, but did not look down. "_I poke him to wake him up, but he didn't move! He must be really tired. I poke him again, and he snores. I couldn't help laughing, even thought it wasn't very nice of me. I decide that I'd wait until he'd was awake, so I run up the stairs onto the wall and stand there, looking at the deep blue sky for a while like I always have, checking every so often if he's awake. Eventually, I see him scratching his head, confused to see me. I smile, and wave back, and I say, as my mother told me to do, say 'Hello, what's your name?'" _

"I'm Klavier Gavin, prosecutor by day and rock star by night. I'm currently stranded from my very successful band, the Gavinners, who are in a city an hour away, and I was wondering if you, kind actress, could help me get me back together with them to make it in time for my concert. Now, who might you be?" he asked, with dazed and baffled eyes. He already knew the answer, but at the same time he couldn't believe it. Of all people to be in a place like this…

"Don't get smart with me, you glimmerous fop," she yelled, her face a bit red, "How did you…how could you…why would you even be here?! This was supposed to be my vacation time away from the stress of work, and then you show up! You didn't actually ditch your band on purpose for the sake of annoying me, did you?"

His expression soured and glared at her. "Of course not! I wouldn't give up my concerts just for you. Or is that something you wish would happen?"

"Why would I want that?"

"It's just a possibility…"

"The chance of me wanting you near me is zero percent!" she yelled back, shaking her head, "You can be so…nevermind," she started, but didn't want to shout anymore. "…well, to answer your question, I could order a taxi here for you. It's morning only, so you should be able to make it in time."

He tilted his head. "You'd do that for me?"

"To get rid of you, obviously. Besides, I'm too busy right now preparing for the summer play for the annual carnival of this town…sometimes I wonder why I even bothered with it," she sighed.

"Oh, so…was that what you were doing? Reciting…lines from a play…?" he questioned, incredulous.

"Yup. I can't believe you were there to hear me…by the way, how long have you been listening to me, anyway?" she asked, looking away from him.

"Heh. Well, all I have to say is bravo, Fraulein Detective," he replied, giving a few claps of applause, "I didn't know you could act too."

She stumbled on the wall, staring at him with a mix of disgust and confusion. "W-What?!"

Klavier snickered, but calmed down and looked her straight in the eye. "Now, if you would be so kind as to call someone for me so we could get on with our lives?"

"…oh, well, about that…we should go to my sister's house then! Yeah, that would be best!"

"I have a phone that you could use," he replied, handing her his phone. He pondered if she left her phone often…

"Oh, perfect! But let me get some gloves. I don't want proof that I touched anything of yours," she replied. He half-lidded his eyes, wondering how much his detective really hated him.

"Huh? ….it's…it's Mr. Gavin!!" screamed a young, high pitched voice from behind the two of them, "And…Auntie Ema! Auntie Ema…how could you?!"

"No no no no no no! It's not what you think!" she exclaimed as she ran to the little girl who had called them, "We're not…"

"Stop lying to me! You're--You're--You're Mr. Gavin's girlfriend, aren't you? WHY?! Why didn't you tell me?!" she exclaimed, "Mr. Gavin is supposed to be my husband when I grow up!"

Klavier's expression went from startled to confused to quite smug in a matter of seconds. "I see I do have one fangirl in this town. Now, who are you, Fraulein?"

"N-Natalie…I'm…I'm you're biggest fan…Mr. Gavin," she replied, "I have all your albums and your products! I've gone to one of your concerts, and it was really fun! After a while, I decided that I really really loved you! Even though I'm seven years old, I'm very mature for my age! My mommy says so all the time! Right, Auntie?"

"Lana sure does like saying that about you. But as I've told you before, saying you love a guy like this will only lead you to frustration and sadness. And I've already told you what those two words mean, right?"

"You're only saying that because you want Mr. Gavin to yourself! I'm right, aren't I, Mr. Gavin! You two are secretly…secretly…in…l-l-l-love and you're just being nice to me just because I'm young? Right?"

"Don't worry, I'm quite s…" he began. However, a bright idea sprung into fruition as he grinned at the two girls. As Ema had said, it was only morning, and as long as he made it to the rehearsal, it wouldn't hurt for him to have a little fun with the detective before he went back. It'd make up for all the events that led him to this place, beautiful as it was, and it would be just another story that he'd be able to take back with him to work, after all!

"…I'm quite sure that, while we are in a relationship, you could find some way to get to my heart," he ended, smirking at Ema, "But it'll be quite hard. Your aunt is totally and utterly in love with me."

"I knew it!" Natalie replied, smiling, but a little sad, "Just you watch, Auntie Ema! I'll steal his heart when you're not looking!"

"….why…you…." she mumbled. Her hands twitched with rage and she was quite close to strangling him, "See if I ever help you again!"

"Aww, see! She's still pretending to be mad for the sake of covering up our love!" he replied, "I don't blame her. She'd be the envy of the world if everyone knew that we were going out!"

"We…are not…going…out…"

"Poor Auntie! It's okay, you don't have to hide anymore. Besides, mama will be really happy you have a boyfriend! We've gotta to get to my house and show you around to my family, Mr. Gavin! After all, either auntie or I will be married to you eventually!" she exclaimed, grabbing the two of them, "Let's go!"

The two followed the young girl, Ema glaring at Klavier. "You're sure you didn't follow me here?" she whispered.

"Oh no. Like I said, I wouldn't waste my time doing such things. But, when your niece came and said all those things…the opportunity presented itself. Don't worry, I'll tell them the truth in the end!"

"You really don't know what you're doing, you know," she sighed, "My sister has been wanting for me to get married these days. And she didn't get married until she was thirty! She may be the best sister in the world, but…"

"So you mean, if I tell the truth, she'll be very disappointed," he replied, bringing his face close to hers, "Well, then there's only thing to do, then."

"And what would that be, Mr. Guitar Hero?"

"Ema Skye, will you go out with me?" he whispered, holding her free hand, "For real…for the time being? We'll just break it off when we get back to work. I'll throw in a month's supply of snackoos free if you do," he replied, whispering as quietly as possible, "Just go with it for a little while and then I'll leave, all right?"

"…argh," she sighed. Her supply was running low and her salary was even worse. "…okay. Fine. Just…don't kiss me or something weird like that, will you?"

"Sadly, I cannot guarantee such a thing. We are in a 'relationship', after all," he replied, giving her a quick peck on the cheek, winking at Natalie who was looking quite jealous, "And, if I remember correctly, such intimacies are needed for relationships."

"…you owe me a year's supply of Snackoos for that," she muttered, trying to wipe her cheek without attracting Natalie's attention, "And a raise, if you don't mind."

"Heh…we'll see," he replied, glancing at his guitar, "If you get me to the concert in time, I'll consider it."

"You're the one who prolonged your stay here; remember that," she replied. The two of them said nothing after during the way to Natalie's house, but Klavier wondered what kind of person was Ema's sister, compared to the science lover herself. Or Natalie's father, someone who he hadn't heard about yet. And, of course, he wondered if the band would be okay without him for a while. He usually put his band first, being the leader and all. Now that he thought about it, this whole plan with Ema being his girlfriend for fun wasn't like him at all.

What had happened to him in the course of a morning, anyway?

--

Wowzers. I haven't written in a fanfiction since I was twelve. Glad to know I still can write in the first place! :D

I like to thank moyabomb for inspiring for me to write again. LONG LIVE GANFRED!

Please read and review...Is that what you people say these days? Pshaw.


	2. Family

Disclaimer: The Justice named Apollo and all things related to him are owned by the same people who own the Megaman.

And no, it's not Square-Enix.

--

"So, why am I going with you two to this small town again? I mean, clients may be coming for our help and I won't be there and they'll be…"

"Face it, Polly, you're nothing without me!" exclaimed a girl with a blue hat, "And because people in this town might need you! Who knows? This town might have a secret ritual where multiple people die a horrible death for the sake of a god, and it's up to you to find the murderer!"

"Note to self: Don't let Trucy watch scary Japanese cartoons ever again," murmured their guardian to himself.

"At least we're taking this train…but then after that, we have to…take…a tractor?"

"Yeah! There's only one bus that comes here, and it already left!"

"But…couldn't we have taken a taxi…or couldn't Mr. Wright learn how to drive…?"

"When he learns how to play the piano, he says," Trucy answered.

"…nevermind. Maybe I'll go for my driver's license instead," Apollo sighed, "So if we ever have to go here again, we don't have to be in this muggy heat…"

--

"And this is my house!" exclaimed Natalie, "This is also where Auntie Ema is staying, Mr. Gavin."

"Seems normal. But then again, this is _your _sister's house we're talking about…" he shrugged. It was a fairly sized house, not too big, not too small, with palm trees befitting its landscape. He did notice some breeds of spiky green plans in the backyard, but the exact name escaped him while Natalie pulled his hand.

"Listen, you…" she muttered as she aimed to punch him, but Natalie glanced back and she stopped her fist midway. "Sorry. Sometimes he likes to tease. But…that's just one of his few, um, bad traits," she clarified.

_Nice save, Fraulein,_ he thought, _I wonder if she's trying to control that impulsive behavior of hers just for the sake of her niece…what a sweet aunt._

"Ah, I see! Well, I guess even people like Mr. Gavin aren't perfect…I guess if you've been in a relationship for a while, you'd find that out. But, you know, Mr. Gavin, if you go with me, I'll still love you even if you tease! Papa loves teasing me and my brother…I mean, my brother and me. Heh heh, I get that wrong all the time," she exclaimed with a blush and a giggle.

"Aww, Natalie! You are so cute!" Ema exclaimed, suddenly giving her a tight hug. For a second, Klavier could've sworn little red hearts were flying in the air as it happened. "It's okay! You're only seven, after all! Nevermind the comments beforehand…"

"Auntie…tight…choking…" Natalie mumbled, and Ema backed off and knocked on the door.

"I didn't realize that you had a weakness for children," he commented, drawing his hand away from Ema's niece and patting her head. She almost fainted of embarrassment.

"…just my sister's kids," she replied, but he knew he hit the nail on the spot. The lock was being fiddled around and opened with much gusto.

"BANG! Hands up, right now! All right, deputy, I think I got…AUNTIE EMA?!" shouted a little boy who looked like a police officer.

"Sure did," replied a tanned older man, blinking at the sight of Klavier, "I think you've caught her accomplices as well. Good job, junior!"

"B…But…DAD! Auntie Ema's not a bad guy! Or girl…or…"

"Well, maybe it was the blonde kid she's got with her that's the bad guy," he replied, chewing on some piece of straw as he talked, "'cause I've never seen that pardner before."

"Are you crazy, Papa? This is Klavier Gavin! Of the Gavinners! Remember, you took me to a concert of theirs once! He's Auntie Ema's boyfriend!"

He spat the straw out on the little boy, who grimaced at his father's spit on him. "Boyfriend? You, Ema? I thought I'd never see the day…LANA! Come down! Your sister just pulled the gun from the holster and she's gonna shoot you with a bang!"

"Dad! It sounds like Auntie's going to kill Mama!" cried the young boy, who looked grim and angry at his dad.

"Ah, don't worry. She knows me too well to take me too seriously," he shrugged, chewing another straw that magically formed from his pocket.

"Huh...quite the family you have, Fraulein," he casually stated, "I hope when we have one of those, we'll be as interesting as your sister's."

"In hell," she muttered to herself, resisting the urge to get out one of her flasks from her bag and bash his head with it.

"Huh? Ema…finally," said a voice from the stairs. Klavier couldn't believe this mature, motherly looking woman could actually be Ema's sister. She had lighter brown hair than Ema, and wore a pink nightgown with a yellow apron. On top of the apron lay a picture of a boot. Random, Klavier thought, but yet fitting with the rest of the family.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier your boyfriend was coming here? Or that you had a boyfriend in the first place? Oh, and you brought Natalie with you, too! Good job, Ema," she replied. She seemed like a woman who often doted on her family…

"Ah, well, it was a surprise visit from me…on both sides," Klavier answered, gesturing to Ema that he'd be the one doing all the talking. "It might be quite the story, so we should all sit somewhere comfortable; would your kitchen table suffice, ja?"

"'Ya'? Where you from, pardner, Switzerland?" asked Lana's husband, but before Klavier answered, the six of them moved to the table as the rock star suggested.

"To answer your question, no, I'm actually from Germany," he replied, scratching the back of his head as he sat down, "Anyway. My band, the Gavinners, were to perform at a venue an hour away from this town. However, due to events beyond our control, we were forced to cancel tonight. They decided to stay in the town where the concert was supposed to go, and I told them that I'd make an impromptu visit to my girlfriend. Since I'm also her boss, I knew where she was, of course," he replied.

"Huh? But Ema's a detective, son! Why would you be her boss?"

"Ah, well, I'm also a prosecutor. You see…"

"…the entire band is involved in law enforcement as their day job!" exclaimed Natalie, who was again red in the face, "…I read it on the band's website."

"Good job. You're quite the loyal fan after all, Fraulein."

Lana raised an eyebrow. "A prosecutor, huh? I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, even if that apple's been gone for almost ten years. Even though it's a bit unprofessional for your career… Didn't you like another prosecutor when you were younger?"

The detective of science eyes' brightened with reminiscence. "Ah, yes. He was the most handsome prosecutor I've ever laid eyes on…and he was so calm and collected too," replied Ema, "But of course I was young and now I like my boss!" She added it enthusiastically, but Klavier could spot the resentment in having to say that.

"Heh. Well, that's great," she replied calmly, but suddenly she remembered something. "We haven't introduced ourselves, have we? I'm Lana, Ema's sister, and also a prosecutor like you. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Gavin."

"You know who I am, of course," Natalie replied.

"The name's Jake. Jake Marshall," introduced the cowboy, "If you haven't noticed, I'm a father of a fellow cowboy and an adorable bambina, and husband of the great Lana Skye-Marshall, and a detective, like your girl over there."

The last one was hesitant to speak; in fact, he looked like he was about to cry.

"Hey, junior, don't blubber up just 'cause your aunt's taken," muttered Jake to his son, "Just tell Mr. Switzerland over here your name."

"Neil Marshall, Jr.," he muttered, "Six years old."

"Okay, now you've met the whole family. Let's go," Ema mumbled to him, trying to pull him away from the house with a smile for the Marshalls.

"Wait just a second!" yelled Jake, standing up, "Horseback riding."

The two of them stared in confusion and blinked, almost simultaneously. Natalie giggled, like if she knew something about her Daddy's sudden suggestion. "…horseback…riding?" asked Klavier.

"Yup. I reckon a real man, especially the sister of my beautiful bambina, could learn to ride a horse with another man. And, in return, we could do something you're good at, son…teach me to play that guitar of ye'rs, I guess," he shrugged, "In the absence of parents, I can judge if ye'r the genuine thing."

" 'In the absence of parents'…you say?" he asked, curious of Ema, "Are you saying…"

"…our parents died in a car crash when we were younger," replied the scientific detective. The sisters glanced down at the mention of them, "But…it's okay! Ever since then, Lana's been there for me. And Jake, Neil, and Natalie as well!"

_Now this is news to me_, he thought, _I've never heard her sound so…apologetic. Maybe this would be a good chance to learn about the Fraulein Detective. She was always a bit…mysterious to me. Might help with the poor relationship we have at work..._

"Interesting," replied Klavier, "I think your plan sounds like a great idea. Besides, it's not often I go horseback riding. The last time I've actually rode one was probably when I was younger."

"Heh! Good thinking, pardner," he replied with a grin, " 'sides, I think the sisters need some time to bind without my constant presence. Ain't that right, Lana?"

She merely nodded, and although Ema wanted to protest, she did want to talk to Lana by herself. And…she also wanted some help with that play she had to do…

"Fine. Go have your male bonding time, or whatever the cowboys call it, Jake," Ema sighed, "Have fun…honey."

_What bitter honey I taste, dear Fraulein_, Klavier chuckled to himself, stroking his gorgeous blonde locks. His smile made Natalie almost faint and Ema almost barf.

The two men walked out the door as they said more goodbyes to the children. When they were out, Jake led him to a stable near their house. Now that he thought about it, he never noticed the horses when he was led here by Natalie and Ema …

"Ready, son?" he asked, opening the entrance. He nodded…however, as soon as Klavier went inside…

"NEIGH, NEIGH!"

"Whoa, calm down there Kristoph!" yelled Jake, "He's…"

_Wait, what?_

"NEIGH, NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The last thing Klavier saw was a pair of hooves.

--

Ha. XD That's right, I support Lana/Jake! Hooray.

Read and review. ;3


	3. Farewell

Disclaimer: Can I stop doing these? I mean, I already said that Capcom owns Apollo Justice. Gees.

I also don't own "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis.

--

On a sofa that felt like soft velvet, a young boy listened to the harmonic duo of a violin and piano. He wasn't sure what the song was called, but to him it sounded as if he were in a different part of the world, a place where he's never been, but yet the melody felt as if he'd been there many times in his life.

"Look, mother!" exclaimed the teenager on piano, "He's sleeping!"

The violin stopped, as the mother contemplated her younger son. "Dear…have we bored him?"

"W-W-Wait, no, I'm not asleep! I was just…"

Their mother smiled and sat next to him, stroking his hair and kissing his forehead. "Now, now, no need to apologize. Maybe if you knew how to play an instrument like the rest of us…"

"Should he take up piano? After all…" started the teenage son, but was interrupted.

"Ah...it reminds me of when you were playing the piano so gracefully when I was giving birth to your brother," sighed their mother, "It calmed me down so much as he came out into the world! I had to name him after that wonderful instrument."

"So…that's why my name is…"

"Yup! And it's all thanks to your big brother!" exclaimed the mother, "I suppose that's it for today. I'm going to begin making dinner. You two have fun," she replied, placing her violin in the case next to the piano and going into the kitchen.

"Wow, thanks big brother!" shouted the younger brother, giving him a big hug. "Keep playing the piano forever, all right? And then one day I'm going to accompany you and we'll travel around with mom and play music together!"

"Of course! But…" his brother began, and all of sudden he grew up and fire surrounded the older brother. Random bottles which looked like hands circled his older brother, trying to grab at him, and diaries flew erratically toward the little boy. "That'll never happen! A silly dream for a silly child! Ha, hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaneeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he exclaimed as he became a stampeding horse that ran over the poor little boy…

--

"AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

"Hey, Ema, your boyfriend's alive after all!" exclaimed the husky voice of Jake Marshall. As Klavier opened his eyes, he found himself in an unfamiliar bedroom surrounded by the Marshalls and Ema, his 'beloved'.

"…yay," she muttered, trying to appear joyful that he was awake.

_Nice to know that I'm loved_, thought the German rock star and prosecutor.

"I…I thought he'd never wake up…" mumbled Natalie, who was crying. She jumped onto the bed and hugged –no, choked- Klavier with sobs and love. "You're amazing, Mr. Gavin! Not only are you the greatest singer ever, but you can even withstand being knocked out by a horse!"

"Speaking of which, I need to take a good luck at that pony," Jake muttered to himself, shaving some of his beard, "Kristoph is usually a very well-tamed mister. Always hanging out with Natalie's horse, doesn't ask much, maybe just a sugar cube o' two."

"Ya reckon that Kristoph just doesn't like Mr. Gavin?" asked Neil, with a small smile on his face that Klavier rose an eyebrow at.

"He probably just took something the wrong way," Lana replied. "How are you feeling, Mr. Gavin?"

"I'm fine; the head's just sore from…Kristoph…" he sighed, "…how long have I been out for, exactly?"

"About two hours. Something wrong with that, dear?" she asked, trying to not sound suspicious, even though she knew exactly what it was.

_The concert…gotta make it to the rehearsal…_he thought, getting out of bed.

"Mr. Gavin! You need more rest!" shouted Natalie, who dragged him back to the bed, "I'm surprised you didn't lose your memory or something!"

Klavier had to agree; there was a throbbing pain in his head, one that probably might have caused amnesia, and he was sure that horse made quite a mark on his forehead. No doubt the audience wouldn't want to see that on the lead of the Gavinners on the opening set. But he knew a certain detective was quite amused by this…she was trying hard not to laugh in front of her sister's family. Did she really hate him that much?

"We'll make some lunch for you," the little fangirl replied, bringing her mother along.

"And Neil and I will check on the horses," said Jake, whose son's jealousy of Klavier amused and annoyed him at the same time.

"Of course, I'll be helping the…"

"Ema, no! We'll be fine. Just take care of him for us," Lana exclaimed, quickly going out the door, "And remember what to do!"

"Oh, no! Lana!" she pouted, but she was already out the door. She sighed, but then had quite the smug look on her face. "Remember, you're the one who wanted to play this joke on me, Klavier Gavin."

"And you're about to say how it's backfired on me just because a horse that coincidentally has the same name as my brother just knocked me out for a couple of hours?"

"Yup. I wonder if your brother will hear about this… Also the black eye you have is terrible! And now you can't go to the concert," she smiled, "How will your band react when they see a bruised up lead singer?"

"That smile pierces my heart, Fraulein Detective. _I keep bleeding, I keep, keep bleeding love, Keep bleeding, keep keep bleeding…"_

"You know how disappointed in yourself you are. And don't sing one of your songs in front of me," she scolded.

_She must really not keep up with the times, poor thing,_ he thought. "So, are you saying I'm stuck here just because I look terrible? You misjudge me, Fraulein. Don't you know about makeup? I could just use that…"

"You wouldn't do that," she scoffed, "You're a perfectionist when it comes to that band. You want everything right and there's no way you wouldn't cover up your face with artificial junk."

He was astonished to hear her say such a thing about him. "Fraulein…no…Ema," he whispered, getting out of bed and cupping her cheeks. "I thought you didn't care much for me. We're always arguing…but it seems that maybe you are more observant of me that I realize?"

She gasped; backing away from him onto the wall. "No…we…we've just been working with each other for a while…no doubt that you've noticed things about me as well!"

"That is true. Like how you eat Snackoos in front of me when I'm trying to tell your something important, or the way you wear your pink sunglasses when you do an unauthorized scientific analysis of a crime scene – you do know I was watching when Herr Forehead helped you with the footprint analysis."

"Is that why my pay was docked drastically after the Kitaki case?!" she asked, "Listen, I would've asked you but you're never interested in investigating and Apollo is…"

"Maybe if you asked me," he replied, "Maybe I would've."

The two stared at each other for a while, surprised at the other's reaction. The tension that flew through the room had dissipated into confusion, but they kept steady. It was almost as time had frozen for the two of them in that place…

"Auntie Ema, it's time to eat!" exclaimed Natalie from outside the door. "Is Mr. Gavin okay?"

"I'm fine, Fraulein," he replied, taking Ema by a hand and opening the door, "We're all right."

She could only stare jealously at her dear auntie as they walked past her so close together.

--

"Mama, they're…they're not going to…they're not going to kiss, are they?!" Natalie asked, "They're just going to be out for a while on a…a date?"

The little brunette's eyes raged with envy at Klavier and Ema who were amusedly watching her complain. Well, Klavier was, and it didn't make the situation any better for her. He did feel sorry that one of his fangirls – a quite loyal one at that – had to suffer like this because of his 'relationship' with her auntie.

"Natalie, please. You have to let them have some time together, don't you?" she sighed, "Please enjoy yourselves, especially you, Mr. Gavin."

"Thank you. And please call me Klavier. After all, we might be siblings-in-law one day, if things go right! Isn't that right, Ema?"

"Yes, of course," she replied. Even thought her cheeks were red from their encounter in the bedroom, she was still hesitant to call their relationship a romantic one. She was too used scolding the man when they were together.

"Oh my…you might even make her rich, considering how popular you are these days!"

"You could make my family rich if you marry me instead," Natalie sobbed.

The blonde sighed. "Don't worry. I'm sure there are plenty of other men for your pretty little face to attract, dear madchen."

"Sigh…Auntie Ema's not being fair," she pouted, "Fine. Go have your chance, because when you go back, I'm going to take him for myself!"

"You do that," Ema muttered to herself, "All right...let's go, glimmerous fop."

Klavier noticed Lana's confused expression at her sister's last two words. "Ah, it's a bit of a pet name for me. Quite a cute nickname for me, ja?" he added quickly, pushing Ema out the door, "Goodbye, see you later!"

The door slammed shut, and the two of them were alone. "Phew. You almost blew it, Fraulein Detective. 'sides…I thought you might actually…"

"Agh…come on. Let's go get you to your concert…" she sighed, dragging him away from the house, "Stop interfering with my life already."

"But…" he began. He needed to get to rehearsal soon…and the band was very important…but he was rather curious of Ema's behavior. _Give me a little more time, guys._

"Look, forget what happened in the bedroom, all right!" she yelled, stomping her feet, "It's all very scientific, you see. The factor – a boy and a girl are together in a room, alone. Boy comes too close to girl. Girl blushes. Boy thinks that girl wants something more. Under better conditions, those two could've …mated," she swallowed, her grip on his hand quite firm.

He sighed, shrugging with a smile. "Is that what you were concerned about? I wouldn't have done anything to you! Not this early, at least. Besides, we have Natalie to worry about, don't we?"

"Don't worry about her! Listen, Gavin…Klavier….foppishly foppish fop!" she yelled, "Just go away!"

Klavier was astonished to hear her so angry. Well, maybe not that surprised, but the situation made it like that for him. Were women who didn't worship him so…moody? He looked down toward her. It was then that the golden haired prosecutor noticed something interesting – a script.

"Huh? Were you going to practice again?"

"Wha--Don't change the subject!"

"After you were going to get rid of me, you were going to practice your lines for the play you were reciting, right?"

"Listen…"

"I want to hear more!" he exclaimed childishly, clapping for her. To be honest, he wasn't sure why he wanted to prolong their stay together. "You were amazing!"

"…please…don't do that…you're embarrassing yourself."

"Or does the great scientific detective think she can't do it front of one person?" he teased.

"Stop it! Darn it, only you would be able to do this…" she sighed, "Fine. But then you're going to go to your concert…all right?"

The two of them had ended up near the seawall again. Klavier found it most fitting for this part of hers. They sat down on top of it, Klavier watching the sea for a second. He remembered when he was a young little German boy how much he wanted to see the sea. Now that he lived here, he could come to the beach any time he wanted…but it still wowed him every time he was here.

"Anyone there?" Ema asked, her face close to his. Almost as close as in the bedroom. "I thought you wanted to hear me perform my lines. But you know, if you want to watch the sea…"

"The ocean's roar is not as nearly majestic as your lovely voice," he replied as gallantly as possible, "And not nearly as beautiful."

"We're alone, you idiot! There's no need to overly compliment me anymore!" she fumed as she almost threw her script at him.

"It's just fun to see you get so worked up, I suppose," he grinned, "Anyway. I was wondering what this play was about in the first place, Fraulein."

"Argh…" she began, "The play's about two people, mostly. The boy in this story is an arrogant genius who thinks he's the greatest thing that's ever lived. He's only seventeen years old, but he's already graduated college! He goes searching for a job with his new degree. He ends up wandering to this small town because he accidentally missed his stop because he misread the sign to the place he was supposed to go. He tries to get help, however the townspeople don't like his haughty behavior, and so he ends up at this seawall, exhausted from the trip and the people. He wonders if he's stuck here forever, and almost falls asleep when I come in," she began.

"Hm? So you're the second character?" he asked. He could tell that, hesitant as she was about speaking her lines, she enjoyed working in the play. A glint of light shone through her eyes, a similar glint to the one he saw rarely when she worked with any forensic science-type stuff.

"Yup. I – My character – appears on top of the sea wall, like this," she said, demonstrating the same pose Klavier saw her earlier, "And they introduce themselves. Although the genius acts as egoistically as he was, this girl ignores his attitude for some reason. She offers to show him around town, even though he's trying to get her to call a taxi here instead, and eventually he gives in because she seems so airheaded. It's implied that he's secretly happy that he is not being ignored by someone," she grinned.

"I think you should start reciting some lines from this point," he suggested, elbowing her lightly, "Remember our deal."

She had to roll her eyes at him for that. "Fine, fine…" she replied as she shoved his arm away. A smirk crossed her face suddenly. "Would you like to be the arrogant genius?"

"Eh…hey, this is your play, I shouldn't…" he began, but his smirk mirrored hers, "But I would do anything for _mein liebe_," he patted. Thankfully, he didn't speak enough German around her at work for her to get that. Ema and Klavier scooted close together and looked at the script. She pointed to a top section that read **Scene Two**.

"From there," she replied.

"Ah…_So where do you plan to take me, anyway?_" he recited as haughty as possible. Somehow that came easier that he originally thought it would.

"_Oh, any old place around here. There's the beach over there. And behind us are the vending machines. You should try the peach juice!" _

"_Peach…? Can't you think of better flavors?"_

"_Aww…well…that's the only one I drink,_" she replied. This play made Ema sound so innocent and cheerful. To the vocalist, it was a nice change of pace, and maybe he could connect with her more if he did things like this.

"_Whatever. I don't care. I have to get out of this town, so could you lead me…_"

"_I thought of some place I could take you!_" she exclaimed and clasped onto Klavier's hand. Out of the blue, she took him past the beach and toward a local shrine of sorts. He wasn't religious, but he knew when to pay his respects to the gods when he could.

"Huh? Is this where she goes?" he asked.

"Yup. Anyway…" she said nonchalantly, "_Isn't this a great place? I come here to calm down and relax. I thought you might need it, since you took the time to come all the way here…_"

"_Look! I need a payphone, not a tour! I don't have time to relax!_"

"_Oh! The number one rule of relaxation: if someone angrily says that they can't relax, that means they need to relax!_" she exclaimed, her grip on his hand tight, "_Let's sit._"

The two of them sat on the floor of the shrine, cross-legged. _"It feels peaceful here, doesn't it? It's like you can just stay here forever…"_

"_Seriously, what's with you? Why are you doing this?"_

"…_you feel like you're not even in this world anymore." _Her eyes became very wide, her eyes looking at the sky.

"Your acting is out of this world, I must admit," he added, "You've been preparing for a while, haven't you?"

She shook her head and blinked a couple of times. "…um…yes. I guess I get into it when I really want to," she sighed. "…now…c'mon, hand me your cell and I'll ask a taxi .

He had to admit, he'd probably been overstaying his welcome too long. Klavier picked his cell up and called the band; Ema called the taxi company. And after that…they just waited silently. The ocean breeze passed them both, the sun beat on them. For some reason, they just didn't have much to say to each other.

As the taxi arrived, Klavier took his stuff and put it into the trunk, as another passenger was already sitting there. "Goodbye…Ema. See you at work," he waved. He looked almost…sad to leave. And so did she, to his surprise. "Good luck tonight."

"Ah…yeah. Good luck at your concert," she said back.

He waved and shut the door close. The driver kicked the engine and set it to go. And…he was gone.

A/N: AHAHA That's right. This is totally the end of the story. :D R/R please!

No, it's not. Stop whining. XD


End file.
